Hello!
I have recently been thinking about some changes I want to make in my life and I tried to observe my decision-making process. I noticed a few things that I want to share.
How do we make decisions? One of the common ways is to write down pros and cons of each option and choose the option with more pros and less cons. It is objective and clear. However, it is also somewhat mechanical and does not take into account the fact that some pros or cons might have bigger weight. You might have many pros and just only one con for one option but that one pro might be so important that it would override the pros and make you not choose that option. For example, let’s say you have a good job, nice home, live in a nice city, are financially and physically stable. But you feel alone. In terms of numbers, there are a lot more pros than cons in this option. But the con can be so important that you might proceed to change everything so that you are not alone anymore, possibly at the extent of being less financially stable, having a worse apartment to live in etc.
Another way is to make logical versus emotional decisions. I will do what I deducted from my research makes more sense versus I will do what feels right. I always had issues with this approach because oftentimes, what we think is our objective research is affected by our emotions and perspectives and may not be accurate. There is not always a clear-cut line between logic and emotions.
How do you make your decisions? Let’s discuss.